


The one with the missing Leopard-printed scrub cap

by Berenawillhappen



Category: Holby City
Genre: BMAM, F/F, First day back, Fluff, Scrub caps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-12 22:11:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10500465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Berenawillhappen/pseuds/Berenawillhappen
Summary: It's Serena's first day back after her break. She's eager to get back in the game, only to find her leopard-printed scrub cap gone. Someone mentioned it on fb, and my mind just went with it. Hope you like it!





	

She had been moping around the house for a few weeks when Bernie got her on the idea of going on vacation somewhere, so that she had something to look forward to for when she was done with the intensive therapy she was going to go through.

After coming to the realization that day in the office, that she could no longer recognize herself, she and Bernie had sat down and found a few centres she could go to for help. It wasn’t anything she had wanted to do in the beginning when Bernie had first mentioned it, but the idea grew on her, and after some consideration and a few more late night conversations with Bernie she had decided that it might do her some good. After broaching it with her therapist, they had picked one from the list on his recommendation. He had sent a letter to them, and gotten her in quick.

Bernie had visited every chance she could, and had brought Jason in with her two times a week. It was just outside Holby, and it had done her much good. It was a nice little place for people struggling with depression of different sorts, and her group therapy was with other people in need of help to learn how to continue to live, when their loved ones had passed on.

The rest of the days had been full of elective activities such as pottery and painting, and one of Serena’s worst fears, yoga.

Bernie had laughed, tears and all, when she had walked in on the yoga class one day she had been for a visit.

“I thought you didn’t care for yoga? Didn’t you say something about how you’d much rather swallow glowing coal instead of torturing your body with impossible angles in a room smelling like fart?” She had said wiping tears, when Serena had met up with her after end of class.

She had quickly shut her down. “Oh, I’m not doing it for me, think of all the new kinds of fun we can have when I get back..” She swayed off, leaving a blushing, speechless Bernie in her wake.

When her stay there was over, she and Bernie had taken a week in Italy together as a prize for getting through it. They had enjoyed getting to know each other again, and all the yoga had certainly paid off.

 

Bernie had been back at work for a week now, and today was Serena’s first day. It felt strange being back in the hospital again, she thought as she walked through the double doors after several months away.

Nothing had changed, and everything had at the same time. Serena had changed. She felt much more like herself now, and only hoped Bernie hadn’t left their office looking like a bombsight.

She went to pulses and bought two cups of coffee for her and Bernie. The blonde had an early shift, and Serena didn’t start until noon. Knowing Bernie, she wouldn’t have had a break yet, so at least she could bring her some caffeine.

She took the elevator up and was greeted by Fletch the moment she walked through the doors on AAU.

“Welcome back to the mad house! I hope you’ve had time to relax, because it’s busier than ever, and you’re needed in surgery in twenty.” He grinned as he handed her the patient file.

“Thank you. Nice to see everything is as usual then. Have you seen Bernie anywhere?” She said indicating the second coffee in her hand.

“Yes, I think she’s cleaning up the office.” He said with a knowing wink, as he walked over to bay 6 where Raf had just called for him.

She saw Bernie running around balancing patient files, old coffee cups and an old sandwich when she entered the office. It was strangely comforting to see that some things never changed.

“Busy morning?” She said, pointedly looking at Bernie’s full hands.

“I.. Uhm.. Sorry, I meant to get it done before you got here.” She dumped the files on her desk, and the rest in the garbage.

“When the cat’s away and so on?” She smiled.

“Eh, yes.. Something like that.” Bernie smiled back.

Serena sat the cups down on her desk, and went to hang her coat and bag on the pegs, before she returned to the desk and handed one of the cups to Bernie.

“Thought you’d need it.”

“Ah, you know me too well.”

Serena winked back from where she was sat in her old chair.

“Sooo.. How is it to be back?” Bernie carefully asked, a little scared of the answer she could get. It was one thing to feel better at home, another thing entirely being back at the hospital, where it had all happened.

“Well, quiet for now, but why don’t you ask me after the shift?”

“Sorry”

“No need to apologize. I just haven’t had the time to do anything yet. I know I have a surgery soon, so it’ll be nice to be back in the old scrub cap again.” She took a sip of her coffee. “How about you?”

“I have a surgery at one, ward rounds before that, and my own little paperwork-K2 waiting for me when I get back.” Bernie chugged down her coffee. It burned her throat, but she’d rather that than tackling everything without caffeine in her system.

“Better get on with it then” Serena smiled at her. It was nice to be back at work with Bernie again.

“Yes, I should.. Come here first” Bernie stood up and reached out a hand for Serena.

Serena willingly took it, and got pulled into a tight hug.

“It’s nice to have you back Serena.” She murmured in her ear, sending shivers down Serena’s spine, before she gave her a final squeeze and hurried out on the ward.

Serena had caught up on the surgery she was going to do, and had finished her coffee, when Fletch came to get her a few minutes later.

“Just one minute, I have to get my scrub cap. Have you seen it? I can’t seem to find it anywhere..” She said from inside a desk drawer. When she got no reply she sat up again.

“Why the face Fletch?” She looked at him expectantly.

“Nothing boss, but you better go and scrub in. They’re taking the patient up now.” And then he was gone.

“Well that was weird, even for Fletch..” She commented out loud to herself.

\--

She came back to her office after a successful surgery, albeit performed with a disposable scrub cap. Bernie was still in surgery, which gave her some time to begin on the paperwork for her. She wasn’t kidding when she said it was K2.

She finished what she could, and had begun answering emails when Bernie came back and slumped down in her chair with a huff.

“Rough day?” She looked up from her computer.

“One could say that. It was a real battle from the second we opened him up. It was supposed to be a fairly easy surgery, but he started pumping out blood almost right away. I had no idea where it came from, still don’t.. Nothing we did helped..”

“Oh, I’m sorry darling.. I know you, you did everything you could.” Bernie still looked down at her hands, her bottom lip wobbling a bit. It must’ve been a tough one to lose Serena thought, because Bernie wouldn’t normally be that affected by it. “Want a hug?”

Bernie nodded, looking so fragile where she sat. It broke her heart a bit, to see her like that. They met halfway in a long hug, and when Serena made to break it, Bernie clung on to her.

“Not yet..” She whispered, squeezing her tighter. They stood there for a long time before Raf ran through the door.

“Oops, sorry!” They sprung apart like a couple of teenagers getting caught in the act by their parents. Raf blushed a bit, still not used to them being affectionate. “Ehm, the red phone rang. Car crash. You’re both needed. Glad to have you back Serena” He called out behind him as he ran to meet the patient by the doors.

 

Bernie was already in her scrubs, so when the victim of a drunk driver had to go up to surgery, it was decided that she would bring him up, giving Serena time to change too. When she was done, Bernie was already in theatre working on the patient. She quickly scrubbed her hands and gowned up, huffing slightly when she put on another disposable cap, before joining her girlfriend.

After several hours, and thankfully a good outcome, they were both standing by the sink in the scrub room smiling. Serena shot Bernie a sideways glance. “Cheeky!”

Bernie had been relishing the feeling of standing next to her again, and was completely lost when she heard Serena’s words. “Pardon..?”

Serena chuckled and pointed to her head. “You mice really do dance when I’m away, don’t you?”

When Bernie’s brain finally caught up with her, her eyes went wide and her treacherous cheeks blushed. “I’m sorry! It’s a habit, I didn’t think it through!”

Serena laughed heartedly. “It’s fine! Why though?”

Bernie was about to reply when Morven came in, informing her that she was needed for yet another surgery. “Nice to see you again Serena!”

Bernie grumbled as Serena wished her luck and pecked her cheek, before making her way back to the ward. She was met by Fletch at the nurse’s station. “Did surgery go okay?”

“Yes, it did in fact. And even without my dear leopard-printed cap. Do you mind telling me why I didn’t have it in the first place?” She quirked an eyebrow at him.

Fletch looked scared for a bit, but quickly recovered. “Oh, about that. It’s kind of Bernie’s now, have been for a while.”

“Is that so..?”

“Mhm, she’s been wearing it ever since you left. I thought you knew that?” She could see him squirming a bit under her scrutiny.

“No, I did not..” She drummed her fingers on top of the station for a bit. “Do you mind covering me for a bit? I just remembered I have something to do. Won’t be a minute.”

“Sure thing” He said as he scurried away to another patient, glad of the opportunity to get away from Serena’s questioning looks.

 

\--

Bernie found Serena in their office after her third surgery had finished. She tapped softly on the door before hesitantly entering.

“I come baring gifts..?” She held out a cup of hot chocolate. “It’s supposed to be good juju, I think.”

“Thank you, I think? Could certainly do with something a bit stronger than this after today, but chocolate is almost as good.”

Bernie gave her a quick smile, and looked down at her feet. She rubbed at an invisible spot with her toe, clearly a little embarrassed.

“So, do you mind telling me now, why I couldn’t find my leopard this morning?” Serena said a little amused.

Bernie looked up at a corner of the ceiling, bracing herself with a deep breath. “I.. Err, I borrowed it a tough day.. I missed you so much I guess, and e-ever since I’ve kind of..” She trailed off.

“Yes, Fletch informed me that it’s no longer mine.” She chuckled a bit at Bernie’s terrified look.

“But I really like it, so I got you this.” Serena held out a small box with a green ribbon on it.

“What’s this?”

“The whole concept of gift giving, is that the receiver doesn’t know what it is until they open it.” Serena was still amused by Bernie being so uncertain. “Go on, open it up! It won’t bite.”

 Bernie carefully pulled the ribbon open, and whipped the lid off. “Where did you get this?” She laughed, holding a camouflage scrub cap up in the air.

Serena laughed too. “Well, I thought I’d need something good in return, if I was to pry mine out of your strong hands.”

Bernie got rid of the box when the laughter had died down a bit, and held the cap in her hands. Rubbing the material with her thumbs, deep in thought.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” Serena furrowed her brows.

“I.. Don’t get me wrong, I love it! It’s just that..” She looked up at Serena with sad eyes.

“..Go on?”

“It’s.. I just love wearing yours because it reminds me of you.. It even smells a bit like you, and when I wear it, I always feel like a little part of you is there with me.. I know it’s stupid..”

“No, love, it’s not stupid at all.” She stepped closer and gently took a hold of Bernie’s lower arms. “But I’m here now, the real deal, and I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Okay? I'm with you all the way. And if it helps I’ll even let you smell me whenever you like, even though that sounds a bit strange..”

Bernie chuckled at this, daring herself to be properly happy that her Serena was back for good. “That’s weird, even for you. Thank you.” A small smile playing on her lips again, as she pulled Serena in for another hug.

When they broke apart, Serena took the scrub cap from her and placed it on her head, tying it behind her. It was a bit difficult to do so from that angle, but she managed it. Taking advantage of how close their faces were, she leaned in and claimed the other woman’s lips in a soft, lingering kiss.

“Besides..” She went in for another quick kiss. “You are my Big Macho Army Medic after all, a camouflage cap is only fitting.” She winked.

“Oh, really. Is that so? In that case..” She leaned in and whispered something in Serena’s ear.

When she pulled back Serena’s cheeks were red and her eyes dark with arousal.

“Home. Now!”

\--

The next day they had a surgery together first thing. And when they entered the ward with their respective scrub caps on later, they brought wide smiles to many of their colleagues. Serena Campbell and Bernie Wolfe was finally back where they belonged.


End file.
